Butler Toronadoes

NEVILLE ISLAND ~ Special Report provided by the Montour Hockey Club Montour defeated West Allegheny by the score of 5-1 tonight (12/12/03) at the Island Sports Center. For Montour, Mario Panucci had 2 goals and 2 assists, both Dan Shiwarski and Steve Tauriello collected a goal and an assist apiece, and Zach Perry had two assists. Goalie Aaron Williams turned away 31 of 32 shots for the Spartans.

NEVILLE ISLAND ~ Sewickley Academy coach Erik Hoolihan has done a masterful job building a hockey program at a very small school. The Panthers were near extinction many times, but they were able to come back to the varsity level in 2002-2003 after developing at the Junior Varsity level for two years and posting a 6-15-0 record and nearly missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker. SA would like to make the playoffs outright in 2003-2004 and would also like to exorcise the demons of Westmont Hilltop, who they have never beaten and has sent the Panthers on many a cold bus trips packing from the War Memorial in Johnstown. Maybe what Sewickley Academy needs is their # 1 fan to be their bus driver? You see at Westmont-Hilltop, there is THE MAN ….”Bob” the bus driver is as much a staple of the program as Art ‘King Arthur’ McQuillan, whose mighty Hilltoppers have Western Pennsylvania’s longest streak on the line this season at 13 consecutive winning seasons dating back to 1990. Westmont has started off slow this season and mainly due to graduation has been hard hit, but there is a new breed of Hilltopper in the form of all but one player who are underclassmen, a majority are freshman and sophomores. Now’Bob’ had an important job for tonight’s matchup with Sewickley Academy and it was to relay to these young Hilltopper’s the story of a little trip last March to Neville Island, where the preceding Westy boys went where none before them had gone, to the Penguin Cup and won it all with a 4-3 thriller over three-time defending State Champions Serra Catholic. So the usual suspects were on hand as King Arthur, his faithful assistants Brace Moran and Norm ‘the Judge’ Krumenacher set out from Johnstown with important work to do. Sewickley Academy broke out on top early as Trevor Heck scored at 11:54 to give the Panthers the lead at 11:54. Conner Blood extended the SA lead at 4:06 to 2-0 and Sewickley was looking to put it on Wesmont and defeat them for the first time outshooting WH 11-9 in the first period. The Hilltoppers scored a huge goal late in the first period, as Anthony DeMarco tallied with just 1:14 remaining to cut the lead to 2-1. On to the second and after the Panthers scored on the backhand at 14:10, Westmont really looked to be in trouble as Sewickley Academy began to pour the shots on Patrick Krumenacher, who made some spectacular saves at the 10:41minute mark just to keep the game within reach. If there has been a trademark of Art McQuillan coached teams over 19 years at Westmont, it has been the ability to never quit working….so the 2003-2004 version of sludging trudging mighty Hilltopper hockey may have begun before our eyes and an intimate gathering at Neville Island Sports Center. Anthony DeMarco, walk to the side of net and threw a seemingly harmless shot at the net from behind the goal line which snuck behind the pads of Peter Dimmick and gave Westy new life at 10:22 and cut the lead to 3-2. A great goal followed really fueled things for Westmont as Ashley Kowtonuk fed Demarco on a picture perfect pass through the slot and DeMarco slipped the puck through the five hole to tie the game at 3-3 with 7:50 ramining in the second. The Hilltoppers went on the power play at 5:00 remaining and DeMarco’s bid for the hat trick hit the post at 4:21, but the junior forward would not be denied as he scored on a pretty wraparound at 3:31 left to give Westmont it’s first lead 4-3. Coach Hoolihan must have really given it to his team during the ice cut as the Panther’s came out flying in the third period buzzing the Westmont net but could not beat Krumenacher, who turned away several SA chances, the best coming off the stick of Alec Shannon, who was the recipient of a nifty Trevor Heck feed at 7:13. Heck beat the Westmont defense again at 5:02, but could not beat Krumenacher. Finally, at the 4:00 mark, Alec Shannon fed a wide open Richard Thornburgh [grandson of the former Pennsylvania Governor], who blasted a slapshot past the Westmont goalie to tie the game at four apiece. Westmont came right back as Ashley Kowtonuck took a Anthony DeMarco feed and beat Peter Dimmick with 3:28 left and the Hilltoppers were on top 5-4. Sewickley poured on the attack late in the game but could not score as Scott Limbach just missed with :26 left and Westmont stole another one at Island Sports Center, in a game very similar to last years Penguin Cup, 5-4 over a very good Sewickley Academy team.

CRANDALEBERRY ~ North Allegheny coach Tom Pandolfo is committed to bringing North Allegheny a state championship banner to hang at CRANBERRY BladeRunner’s and right the ship of a program which has had 31 years of talent and 31 seasons, which ended in a loss. For some of us historian’s, maybe just maybe one could remember 1977 [none of these current players where born yet so maybe some of the parents like Jimmy Pekins [Shaler] or Dennis Sheran [Central Catholic] might but probably not ? After winning the WPIHL Championship NA headed off to the Round Robin State Championships in Philadelphia. After splitting the first two games, NA scored a huge win over defending 1976 Pennsylvania AA Champions Abington 6-4, and needed a little help from Cardinal O’Hara to defeat Erie McDowell, who where locked in a 1-1 tie going to the 3rd period. If my memory serves me correctly [I was there to watch Churchill-Richland], the NA coaches, players and parents watched at the old Lafayette rink, Erie McDowell score a late goal in that game dashing NA’s hopes of a shot at a State Title. Ladies and Gentleman, that was 27 years ago, but the closest opportunity the Tigers have come to the promised land. Now as I walked into CRANBERRY BladeRunner’s, I see the Championship Banners with 1977- 1995 – 1999 for the WPIHL Champions [which was a championship in 1977 similar to the Penguin Cup] and can’t help notice the JV Championship Banners, which get equal time and frankly are an eyesore in my opinion and need to be but at Wexford Middle School or somewhere else in the scheme of trying to overcome 31 years of frustration. Oh those opportunities to win it all and Central Catholic coach Kevin Zielmanski, knows as well because in 1998, coach Z led the Viking program to the State Final only to see it slip away 3-2 to LaSalle, a team who had pasted CC 14-0 early in the season. Discipline in the form of two game misconducts cost the Vikings that title opportunity and I guess you don’t appreciate it until you don’t see it for a while. If there was ever an opportunity to be a part of the process of winning a State Championship, this may be the best opportunity since 1998 to do it, so when Central defeated Meadville in the opener, maybe the kids thought this would be their year…..and in game two against Shaler, the players could be seen with open cockiness and almost arrogance prior to that game….which they ESCAPED and probably should have lost with a 2-1 victory over a team they should quite frankly beat by 4-5 goals. While many people want to know why Central Catholic is so up and down, the proof is in the pudding and the Vikings got a little reminder in the form of nemesis Bethel Park, who defeated the Vikings 3-0 on Monday. If they didn’t learn from the Shaler game…….here it is and Coach Z should not have to tell this group of mostly seniors so I will, YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO PLAY EVERY SHIFT OF EVERY GAME AND PUT YOUR INDIVIDUAL GOALS ASIDE FOR THE TEAM GOAL….A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP……and maybe just maybe come March your team will get on a roll and jell to make a run. Franklin almost did it but ran into the master of doing it Meadville, who has a great coach but had players who fully understood the magnitude of the moment and captured it. Central Catholic has the horses but needs the commitment and North Allegheny has the comittment, but needs some of its 2nd line players to step to the forefront and become horses….this makes both of these teams somewhat contenders at this point in the season, but they better find the intangibles aforementioned come January – March if either hope to make a run. Coach Zielmanski, who a my last reckoning, is the coach of the Vikings and is a great coach, decided it was time for a change and he could not have picked a better game to do it…North Allegheny, who defeated the Vikings 4-2 a couple of weeks ago in the Central Catholic Invitational. CC was looking for a spark so it change its lines and maybe needed to play more aggressively and a little on the edge, an edge that was displayed in Meadville in the opener and hasn’t been seen since. Conor [got it!] Hickton opened the scoring as Central displayed balance across three lines, a luxury only available to 3 Class AAA teams including Mt Lebanon [who was off to play LaSalle and Malvern Prep this weekend] and Meadville, at 8:54 to give CC a 1-0 lead. Michael McGurk, one of the silent leaders of CC, caught NA napping on the power play and scored a critical shorthanded goal at 4:05 and all the sudden the Vikings held a 2-0 lead at the end of one period. North Allegheny came back in the second as Ryan Sheran scored on the power play to cut the lead to 2-1 at 14:18. The game was in the balance and the game breaker made it happen as Eddie Martin gave the Vikings a big two goal cushion at 11:31 with a goal on the power play. Bryan Adamczyk, who has been confined to limited action this season, stepped to the forefront and showed why Central has two quality goaltenders, who can play in big games by stopping 33 of 34 NA shots. The third period was a titantic battle with some good physical play as Central had the lead and looked to wear NA down with 3-4 lines of playing on the edge and nobody can do it like Central can. The Vikings went on the power play and almost put the game out of reach but Jeff Kristan stopped Matt Capalongo at 10:34. Cappy returned the favor and showed why he is maybe Central’s best all-around forward as he gave up the body to block a slap shot from the right point by Jon Bishop at 7:17. Adamczyk continued to stop NA as he robbed Bill Weiler with 2:06 putting Central on their way to a huge win. Joe Kerr capped it off scoring on an empty netter with :39 left and the Vikings may have begun to turn the corner with a big 4-1 win over a very good North Allegheny team.

GREENSBURG ~ Special Report provide by the Indiana Hockey Club [Q] The Indiana High School Varsity Ice Hockey woke up late in the game to pull off a 6-1 win against Greensburg Central Catholic Thursday night at the Nevin Ice Arena in Greensburg. Mike Nesper scored the first two goals, late in the 2nd and early in the 3rd to start off the scoring effort. Zach Diamond added two more, while Jason Boske and Nick Onuscheck placed one apiece. Nesper and Boske also led assists with three apiece, with Diamond, Mike Hart, and Brad McCoy adding one each. Michael Mentch had 17 saves for the night, while the Indians outshot Greensburg 28-18. Indiana now 6-2 comes home next week facing Trinity on Wednesday, and Chartiers Valley on Friday.

KITTANNING ~ Special Report to Pa Hockey provided by Butler Hockey Club The fans went wild as number 53, Greg Rogerson, with 2:50 left on the overtime clock found the puck at center ice, got a break away and scored, unassisted, to bring Butler its 8th win of the season. Butler started the night off with 2 quick goals in the 1st period. The first came at 13:32 when B.J. Tipton put in goal #1, with an assist from Andy Turner. Only 16 seconds later (13:16), Spencer Crouse hit the net, assisted by B.J. Tipton and Andy Turner. Seneca Valley answered back at 9:13 with its 1st goal by Peet (correct spelling) Poillon, assisted by Matt Cummings and Justin Ball. The 2nd period brought its Seneca's tying goal when at 2:31 Kevin Raynovich found the net, with assists by Rick Seibel and Justin Ball. Each team hit the locker rooms with a tie score of 2-2 Coming out in the 3rd period, Butler's Tyler Druschel was the first to score with Jared White assisting at 12:40. Only 3 1/2 minutes later (9:19) and Seneca tied the game 3-3 when Danny Nelson scored with assists from Peet Poillon and Kevin Raynovich. With the game ending in a 3-3 tie, no break was taken and the 5:00 overtime clock began ticking. Both teams had several opportunities, but goalies Bucky Holt (B) and Jeff Reed (SV) protected their nets amazingly. As luck had it, the puck slipped loose at center ice and the Butler fans held their breath as Greg Rogerson broke away from SV's 2 defenseman and planted a beautiful goal after deeking (spelling?) Seneca's goalie. Seneca Valley's goalie Jeff Reed took 38 shots on goal, saving 34. Butler's goalie Bucky Holt faced 24, stopping 21. Butler is now rated by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette as one of the top 5 teams in their division. They will meet another top 5 rated team on Monday, December 22, 2003 as they play Mt. Lebanon in Mt. Lebanon. Starting time is 7:35 p.m.